The cure for a cranky dilemma

August 18, 2013

A Bismarck man grew weary of tangled hooks in his tackle boxes. In fact, Mark Ryckman became so frustrated with tangles that he became determined to find a better way for fishermen to store multi-hooked crankbaits.

"Crankbaits get so congested in regular tackle boxes," said Ryckman. "I thought I'd figure out how to store them without getting them all tangled together."

Ryckman began his quest to invent a better way to store crankbaits more than seven years ago while living in Pollock, S.D. He experimented with pieces of PVC pipe and five-gallon buckets. His initial ideas proved too cumbersome. As Ryckman puts it, it was "back to the drawing board" three more times.

Article Photos

Submitted photoThe Crank Caddy is container designed to hold multi-hook crankbaits without any tangling. The concept has been well received by fishermen.

Eventually today's Crank Caddy emerged from his efforts. It is a tackle tray that holds crankbaits of various sizes in a neat, tangle-free display that is easy to see, too. Today several partners are involved in the production and distribution of Crank Caddy. Ryckman first introduced his product at sports shows throughout the region. Today several major dealers, such as Cabela's and Scheels, sell Crank Caddy.

"It is rewarding to see it on the shelves," said Ryckman. "We hear really positive comments. I've got fantastic partners, all of whom have the mind of what to make next."

A second product already being marketed is a Dash Caddy. It is designed to mount on any boat to provide a temporary place to hang a crankbait after switching to another size or color. Ryckman expects more products to follow.

"We've got a couple of things on the drawing board right now," said Ryckman. "I can't talk about them yet, but they will make fishing friendlier."

Today's Crank Caddy certainly simplifies the organization of crankbaits. Boxes are designed for small, medium or large crankbaits. The version for small crankbaits holds 42, medium 28 and large 12.

"We have carry bags for them too," said Ryckman. "You can get 210 crankbaits in one five-box bag. That's a lot of crankbaits."

Crank Caddy is manufactured in Pollock, S.D. Further information on their products can be found at (crankcaddy.com).